Boulder County is home to long dispute between cyclists and motorists

Officers left to referee battles, but can't end war

A group of cyclists pass through Hygiene on Saturday morning.
(
LEWIS GEYER
)

LONGMONT -- For Boulder County, it is one of those legendary rivalries.

Each side finds fault in the other, both sides point fingers and, according to law enforcement, both sides share the blame.

In the dispute between motorists and cyclists, there is no peace accord in sight. "Both motorists and cyclists have people on both sides that just create problems," said Boulder County Sheriff's Cmdr. Rick Brough.

Law enforcement is often left to try to referee disputes over sharing the roads, and sometimes there just is not enough information to issue citations unless a deputy or officer witnesses the interaction.

The tension between motorists and cyclists in Boulder County was illustrated last week when cyclist Dirk Friel recorded a video of a man driving an SUV behind him and a companion honking for several minutes as they rode along County Line Road north of Colo. Highway 52. The driver slowed as the cyclists did. In the video, they report that are riding single file, as required by law and note they don't know what drew the driver's ire.

Friel told the Times-Call last week that his blood was boiling, that he had experienced other harassment by motorists, and he worried that a lesser experienced rider would have crashed.

Patrol ticketed 75-year-old James Ernst on suspicion of two counts of misdemeanor harassment, improper use of a warning device or horn and obstructing traffic. Repeated attempts to contact Ernst for comment have been unsuccessful.

Longmont resident Don Schneider said he believes 90 percent of cyclists who frequent the Hygiene area on weekends thwart traffic laws. He calls the sheriff's office, but he says deputies are unresponsive.

He said he has seen cyclists run red lights and stop signs and ride next to one another and slow traffic. He said it creates dangerous situations for motorists.

"It has been going on for years," he said.

He said he tries to give cyclists room, but their own behavior is dangerous for everyone.

Brough said the sheriff's office tries to help.

"We've done some things in order to try to make it so there is not that much conflict between the bicyclists and vehicles," Brough said.

For instance, he said, deputies have tried to speak with organized cycling groups to make sure they are aware of the rules of the road for cyclists. When complaints about large groups along a particular route are made, he said, sometimes deputies direct patrols and then issue tickets to bicyclists who impede traffic and to motorists who harass or endanger cyclists in front of officers.

Offenses that officers do not witness, however, can cause some enforcement heartburn. Cyclists can often get tag numbers of vehicles, but cyclists do not have tags that can be reported. Brough said motorists should get as much information about an offending cyclist as possible -- a detailed description, location and direction, location of the offense, and if that allows the deputy to find the cyclist, the motorist must be willing to sign a complaint.

Colorado State Patrol Trooper Josh Lewis said last week that anyone who has a complaint about a vehicle, bicycle or pedestrian should to call *CSP or 911 to report it. Some people hesitate to use emergency numbers because they worry that their complaint does not rise to the level of emergency.

A cyclist passes through Hygiene on Saturday morning.
(
LEWIS GEYER
)

"We would rather respond to something that is not a big deal than to respond to a tragedy," Lewis said. He added that *CSP is not an emergency number and can be used anytime. Dispatchers can forward the call to the appropriate agency if patrol troopers are unavailable.

State laws effective in 2009 require that motorists give cyclists at least 3 feet of space while passing them. A motorist may cross a double yellow line to pass a cyclist or cyclists if he or she may do so safely. Cyclists, in turn, may ride side-by-side if they are not obstructing traffic, but must fall into a single file to allow vehicles to pass and must ride in the same direction as traffic.

Harassing cyclists is against the law, as well.

That does not mean a motorist may not use a horn, Lewis said.

A polite tap of the horn to make a cyclist aware of a vehicle's presence is fine.

"So long as you are not being obnoxious about it, then by all means, it is appropriate," Lewis said.

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